2022 - Issue 18
Showcasing artists and works that caught my attention.
Images 1-2 = I’m mesmerised by the unnatural perspectives of larger than life Andreas Gursky “photos” of sweeping landscapes and industrial architecture. It’s never quite clear where reality ends and Photoshop begins. These recent works include some uncanny portraiture, which I felt was much less impactful.
Andreas Gursky at (@WhiteCube) until 26 Jun
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Images 3-4 = Keith Cunningham was an incredibly skilled painter, but the inescapable influence of Francis Bacon in style, subject and even names (e.g. ‘Carcass in Abottoir’) might explain why these have been mostly unseen for 60+ years.
‘The Cloud of Witness’ at Newport Street (@NewportStreetGallery_London) until 21 Aug
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Images 5-7 = I was going to write about finding giant fossilised swathes of paint on an archaeological dig, but Rosemarie Castoro (@RosemarieCastoro) left us detailed instructions about how they were made. Which didn’t ruin the illusion and only made me love them more. Like some of the best abstract art it’s big, simple and effective.
‘Working Out’ at Thaddaeus Ropac (@ThaddaeusRopac) until 21 May
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Images 8-9 = This distantly framed, voyeuristic view of a young mother made me worry why she appeared isolated and alone. Whereas my mother saw “Relief - like she’s had a bad night staying up and is grateful the baby is resting. She’s holding the baby really, really tight. Giving a lot of comfort.” Regardless of how you read them, the large scale works by Caroline Walker (@carolinewalkerartist) (accompanied here by small scale studies) of everyday women doing everyday things are always incredibly captivating.
‘Lisa’ at Stephen Friedman (@StephenFriedmanGallery) until 28 May
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Image 10 = I could never figure out if Richard Stone (@artist_stone) made gooey globs of clay or 3D printed stoneware. I could have checked, but that would have ruined the illusion. To an extent, so did my visit last week. Though not as silky smooth I’d as expected, they’re incredibly captivating. Especially the darker colours.
‘the knight divided’ at Kristen Hjellegjerde (@kristinhjellegjerdegallery) until 04 Jun
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PLUS — don’t forget to check What’s On so you don’t miss any of the great shows closing soon.